Bodywork Jacques Coune

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Bodywork Jacques Coune
legal form Sole proprietorship (Belgium)
founding 1962
resolution 1968
Reason for dissolution Abandonment
Seat Brussels , Belgium
management Jacques Coune
Number of employees 17th
Branch Body shop

Carrosserie Jacques Coune , or Coune for short , is a former Belgian coachbuilder from Brussels .

Company history

A Coune MGB Berlinette from 1964; characteristic are the fixed roof and the modified front with recessed, wired headlights
The independent, Italian-looking hatchback of the Coune MGB Berlinette from 1964 with a distinctive spoiler lip

The founder and owner was the Belgian entrepreneur and motorsport enthusiast Jacques Coune (1924–2012). In the 1960s, developed and built his company in small series or as individual pieces , various special versions of large series - passenger cars . In 1963, 1964 and 1965 Coune was represented with its own stand at the Brussels Motor Show , at that time one of the world's most important trade fairs for passenger cars . Coune was the one dedicated to reconstruction of the roadster MGB to coupe with hatchback , with Targa roof or hardtop with saloon . Further specialties were the conversion of two-door sedans from the Volvo brand into convertibles and from two- or four-door sedans from the brands BMW , Mercedes-Benz and Peugeot into station wagons . The best-known model was the MGB Berlinette hatchback coupé from 1964, which appeared before the factory MGB GT coupé and of which Coune produced more than fifty copies.

The body shop emerged from an automobile workshop that Jacques Coune had founded in the mid-1950s on Avenue de la Couronne in Brussels. There he took over maintenance work, especially on exclusive sports cars from Jaguar , Aston Martin and other high-priced brands. His customer base was mostly wealthy and value individuality. Coune was also the first Abarth dealer outside Italy , for both the sports exhaust systems and the Abarth sports cars, as well as a representative for the Italian sports car brand Iso Rivolta . The independent body shop existed from 1962 to 1968 and employed 17 craftsmen. The specialized coachbuilders came mainly as guest workers from northern Italy; Coune lost many of them in the second half of the 1960s, when the Italian economy flourished again and they gradually returned to their homeland.

The conversions of the Jacques Coune bodywork were consistently complex and were considered to be technically outstanding, but were also comparatively expensive. This greatly narrowed the customer base. When the economic situation in Belgium worsened in the late 1960s and many of his skilled craftsmen returned to their homeland, Jacques Coune gave up his body shop. In 1970 he retired from the automotive business altogether.

The coaches converted by Coune

Presentation 1962

The Coune Peugeot 404 Break

The first model designed and built by Jacques Coune was a station wagon based on the Peugeot 404 . In 1960 Peugeot had initially only presented the version as a four-door sedan. Coune converted it to a station wagon in 1962; In addition to the modifications to the body, he also adapted the chassis and suspension to the changed possible uses. There was no (small) series production; the vehicle remained rather a one-off, because shortly afterwards Peugeot announced a station wagon version in June 1962 and presented it in October 1962.

Presentations 1963

The open Volvo-Amazon models

In January 1963 Coune presented a convertible based on a two-door Volvo 122S, developed from 1962 onwards, at the Brussels Motor Show . Coune had coordinated the conversion with Volvo, but received neither technical or design specifications nor technical or financial support from there. Coune went to great lengths for the conversion: he used reinforced base plates with stabilizing sheet metal beads. The fenders, which were only riveted on at the factory, were firmly welded, and the doors were modified for visual reasons. When open, the lined convertible top was almost completely sunk in a convertible top compartment behind the rear seats. The rear side windows were also completely retractable. The interior was lined with leather or high-quality synthetic leather, which was popular at the time, depending on customer requirements. The company needed around one hundred hours for the conversion, which means that the finished vehicle cost around fifty percent more than the closed original model. Coune had high expectations for the project, especially the possibility of international marketing. He adjusted to the production of five vehicles per month. Although it received widespread recognition at vehicle fairs, there were few orders due to the high price. In 1963 and 1964, only four four-seater convertibles were built. At least two of them have survived to this day.

In addition, a two-seater Coune Volvo 122S Amazon Roadster was created in 1963 on the same, unabridged basis. Coune built the car at the special request of an American friend. The interior was shortened in favor of an aligned, longer rear, whereby the rear side windows were omitted. The car was later destroyed in a road traffic accident .

The Mercedes tailfin station wagon

Based on the Mercedes-Benz 190 and 220 to 220 SE , Coune developed a station wagon version. It also made its debut at the Brussels Motor Show in 1963. The Fritz Jauernig bodywork in Vienna implemented a similar concept . From the model, which was sometimes referred to as “Estate” and partly as “Shooting Estate”, only one copy was initially created, based on a 220 S or 220 SE, depending on the source. Characteristic were the relatively strongly rounded, three-part rear window as well as the color-contrasting and thus emphasized "tail fins". The vehicle was so well received and so well thought out that shortly afterwards Mercedes-Benz began to develop its own station wagon; it was available ex works from 1965. Coune's version therefore remained a unique piece that was sold in the United States .

Presentation 1964

The MGB Berlinettas

On the basis of the MGB Roadster, Coune designed an MG Berlinetta Coupé - even before the factory MGB GT Coupé was released. The Brussels company worked on the prototype - still with an all-steel body - from 1963; the public presentation was at the Brussels Motor Show in 1964. Coune built this model in small series from 1964, whereby parts made of glass fiber reinforced plastic were used for the rear, including the roof and rear fenders, for reasons of weight and rationalization . Around fifty copies were made by 1965. Characteristic were panoramic - rear window and a " demolition tail " that removes the Ferrari 250 GTO recalled. The first copy of the Coune MGB Berlinette was made in 1963, one year before the factory prototype and two years before the public presentation of the production version of the MGB GT. Depending on the source, production ran until 1966 or even 1968 with 56 copies.

There was even a meeting between Jacques Coune and Sir Alec Issigonis to discuss the possibility of working with the British Motor Corporation (BMC). Ultimately, however, BMC opted for an independent coupé concept. Due to the laborious manual work, the Coune MGB Berlinette cost 1300  pounds sterling instead of 690 pounds for the production roadster MGB. All regularly sold small series vehicles were left-hand drive for the continental European market, only one example made for BMC was a right-hand drive . About twelve Coune MGB Berlinette have survived to this day.

Presentations 1965

A Coune MGB hardtop, also with recessed, wired headlights

The BMW 700 station wagon

Coune designed a station wagon version based on the BMW 700 (luxury). Of the model, which was sometimes referred to as the "Combi" and sometimes the "Estate", Coune built two copies or just one, depending on the source. A characteristic feature was the relatively strongly rounded rear window adopted from the sedan model. It is not known whether one has survived to this day.

The Coune MGB hardtop

Also in 1965, the Brussels company presented the Coune MGB hardtop. He combined the otherwise unchanged roadster body of the production model with the recessed, plexiglass-clad headlights of the Coune MGB Berlinetta and its own hardtop. It was significantly rounder than the angular factory hardtop, which appeared filigree due to thin columns; it dispensed with rear side windows, which resulted in a wider rear roof pillar. Bonnets with a sporty air scoop were also available. From 1965 onwards, 120 copies of this model were produced by Coune.

Presentations 1966

The Coune MGB Gemini Spyder

Early 1966 Coune presented at the Brussels Motor Show, the model Gemini with Targa roof based on the MGB. It remained a unique piece with a removable, transparent roof section that could be inserted between the frame of the windshield and an unusually wide targa bar. The front was just as independent as the rear. The engine output was also increased by changing the carburettor . The vehicle was built for Baron Lippens, a major Belgian investor in the 1960s . At the motor show in Brussels, an exorbitantly high asking price of 5,000 pounds, 5,000  US dollars and 25,000  Belgian francs was named. The vehicle was originally painted red and lined with beige leather on the inside . The second owner had it painted in yellow-orange. Finally, under the third owner, rumored to be a famous call girl from Brussels, the Spyder was completely destroyed in a road traffic accident.

The BMW 1800 station wagon

Coune also developed a station wagon version based on the BMW 1800 . It also made its debut at the Brussels Motor Show in 1966. Of the model, which was sometimes referred to as the "Combi" and sometimes the "Estate", Coune built four or only two copies in 1966, depending on the source. At least one was temporarily used as a workshop vehicle by a Belgian BMW dealer.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Roger Gloor: All cars of the 60s. 1st edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 978-3-613-02649-0 , p. 391.
  2. ↑ a b c Jacques Coune on the coachbuild.com web portal , accessed on March 6, 2019 (English).
  3. ↑ The Coune Peugeot 404 Break on the coachbuild.com web portal , accessed on March 6, 2019.
  4. ↑ Roger Gloor: All Cars of the 60s. 1st edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 978-3-613-02649-0 , p. 371.
  5. ↑ The four-seat Coune Volvo 122S Amazon Convertibles on the coachbuild.com web portal , accessed on March 6, 2019.
  6. ↑ a b Richard Dredge: Volvo Amazon - The Complete Story . The Crowood Press, Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, United Kingdom 2016, ISBN 978-1-78500-105-5 (e-book), Chapter 6, pp. 115-119 (English).
  7. ↑ The two-seater Coune Volvo 122S Amazon Roadster on the web portal coachbuild.com , accessed on March 6, 2019 (English).
  8. ↑ Roger Gloor: All Cars of the 60s. 1st edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 978-3-613-02649-0 , p. 238.
  9. ↑ The Coune Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Shooting Estate on the coachbuild.com web portal , accessed on March 6, 2019 (English).
  10. ^ A b Roger Gloor: All cars of the 60s. 1st edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 978-3-613-02649-0 , p. 249.
  11. ↑ a b c The Coune MGB Berlinette on the coachbuild.com web portal , accessed on March 6, 2019 (English).
  12. ↑ a b c David Knowles: MGB, MGC & MG B GT V8 . Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2004. ISBN 978-3-89880-344-1 , pp. 40–42 and 50.
  13. ^ A b Roger Gloor: All cars of the 60s. 1st edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 978-3-613-02649-0 , p. 82.
  14. ↑ The Coune BMW 700 Luxus Estate on the coachbuild.com web portal , accessed on March 6, 2019 (English).
  15. ↑ The Coune MGB Hardtop on the coachbuild.com web portal , accessed on March 6, 2019 (English).
  16. ↑ The Coune MGB Gemini Spyder on the coachbuild.com web portal , accessed on March 6, 2019.
  17. ↑ The Coune BMW 1800 Estate on the Web portal coachbuild.com , accessed on March 6, 2019 (English).